Temperature influence on the production of nanodot patterns by ion beam sputtering of Si(001)

Journal Article · Sat Apr 15 00:00:00 EDT 2006 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.73.1· OSTI ID:20788072

Gago, R ^[1]; Vazquez, L; Sanchez-Garcia, J A; Albella, J M ^[2]; Plantevin, O ^[3]; Varela, M; Ballesteros, M C ^[4]; Metzger, T H ^[5]

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1. Centro de Micro-Analisis de Materiales and Departamento de Fisica Aplicada, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, E-28049 Madrid (Spain)
2. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, E-28049 Madrid (Spain)
3. CSNSM CNRS/IN2P3, Universite Paris-Sud, UMR8609, ORSAY-Campus, F-91405 Orsay Cedex (France)
4. Departamento de Fisica, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, E-28911 Leganes (Spain)
5. Anomalous Scattering Beamline (ID-01), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, F-38043 Grenoble Cedex (France)

The temperature influence (T=300-625 K) on the production of nanodot patterns by 1 keV Ar{sup +} ion beam sputtering (IBS) of Si(001) is addressed. The surface morphology was studied by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and grazing x-ray scattering techniques. Three different T regimes are observed: (i) First, the pattern does not change significantly up to 425 K, with the nanodot volume being mostly crystalline. (ii) Second, in the 425-525 K range, the pattern is still present but the nanodot height decreases with T and the crystalline core contribution to the dot morphology progressively diminishes. This trend is accompanied by a continuous decrease of the average interdot distance and an emerging strain in the crystalline lattice of the nanostructures. Above 500 K, the pattern is mainly dominated by the amorphous surface layer. (iii) Finally, the pattern formation is precluded above 550 K, yielding a flat and featureless surface. These results not only have technological implications regarding the control over the pattern characteristics, but also provide relevant information to contrast the existing theories of pattern formation by IBS.

• OSTI ID: 20788072
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 73, Issue 15; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.73.155414; (c) 2006 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ARGON IONS
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
ETCHING
ION BEAMS
KEV RANGE
MORPHOLOGY
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
QUANTUM DOTS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SILICON
SPUTTERING
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
X-RAY DIFFRACTION